Saturday, August 13, 2011

PROCESS THIS

FACEBOOK WARRIOR - PENCILS OF MASS DESTRUCTION
Welcome to my FBook status!  One of my beloved minions suggested  the HIGHLANDER WARRIOR with henchman rabbit … and that was that. God knows how many things have come to fruition from the drama on FaceBook. Come on, you can’t tell me you haven’t unfriended someone (or been unfriended) and fight the unbearable urge to re friend  – JUST TO UNFRIEND THEM AGAIN.  That’ll learn ‘em.

GET A LIFE
I had a very wise mentor  once instruct me to “LIVE YOUR LIFE” in order to be a “good” artist. He added that details make the art “great.” The man exhausted me. His critiques seemed excruciating.


I think I would advise young artists the same thing: live your life. It is always too short, so important and it contains the secret of inspiration, experience and subjects. This mean s to NOT spend all of your time studying art/design, looking at art/design, talking art/design, etc art/design.  Those things are VITAL, but so is the art of living. 
 “The well-formed life, like a work of art, communicates and worships through its way of being, a self-proclaimed morality. Just as a work of art has wholeness, a well-designed life has a wholeness that is called holiness. The characteristics of a well-designed life are those found in creation and in art: unity, variety, balance, harmony. “ –Edward Fisher



DENNIS ANDERSON
I miss “talking shop” as you called it – as I call it now. I also actually miss you swearing at me. I miss you putting me in my place. I miss hearing those three magic words so groughly coughed out in my general direction.  And I promise you, I never apologize for my work. (I will never forget that day).
1940 - 2005

EVERYBODY STEALS FROM GOD
My X Mother-in-Law (whom, during the duration of her life, I affectionately called Satan), was an artist.

Mom?

She was an amazing astounding awesome (and all other “a” adjectives) stained glass artist.

St. Hugo of the Hills Catholic Church
Margaret Bouchez Cavanaugh
Bloomfield Hills

She gifted me a book (Catholic in nature, mind you) called EVERYBODY STEALS FROM GOD : COMMUNICATION AS WORSHIP  written by Edward Fischer.

I can read!
He (Fischer – not God) points out that design is the most usual thing in creation and is the bases of all communication.  Communication is the most important aspect of daily life.  As we grow older, experience serves as a magnet to draw meaning from words and events, meaning that was there all along but we were not ready for. Who knew it was all so aesthetic?


“Design is the template I hold up to experience. We look at the world through templates of our own making and try to fit them over the realities of life. No fit is perfect, but even a sorry fit is better than none.” –Same Guy

There IS a God!
“Charactersitics of good design imbue nature.” –Ditto


MEANWHILE, BACK AT THE RANCH

I am survivng my Interactive Design Class. Be it known that there is a reason there is “SS” in “CSS.” (A little web design humor there). CLICK THE LINK. DO IT. DAMMIT.







27b/6 – DAVID THORNE

I am extremely emotional over this…
David Thorne is my favorite troll:
http://www.27bslash6.com/missy.html





PROCESS PROCESS PROCESS
This posted link is to a blog post covering one designer’s process. It also saves me from digging through all of my notebooks to post one of mine. Just remember : BRIEFS-THUMBNAILS-TWEAKS.

It is important to know as much as possible about your client. It is important to brainstorm and thumbnail without censoring yourself. And it is important to research (your market, your art, your industry, the clients industry) – what? You thought making a living drawing pictures is easy? HAH! I LAFF AT YOU!


BAMBI vs. GODZILLA
This is the very FIRST animation I saw from an AniFest. I fell in love with the world of illustration due to this very piece:





THE PRAGMATIC SIDE
35 Beautiful Vintage and Retro Photoshop Tutorials
I was perusing the net looking for an effect and found this fantastic page of tuts!

http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008/10/14/30-beautiful-vintageretro-photoshop-tutorials/

COMIC SANS
I hate it. Stop using it.
http://www.comicsanscriminal.com



WHAT THE COOL!
Child art will never be the same.
http://whatthecool.com/post/1089824121/1089824121




STUDIO 566 FARE
Or is it “fair.” Hellif I know.






THE END

Saturday, July 30, 2011

I WENT TO THE ANIMAL FAIR

And managed 2 illustrations. More forthcoming...

COUNTY FAIRS

I ♥ the fair!!

COUNTY FAIRS PART II
County Fairs, for me, are like a time machine: they take me immediately back to being 8 years old feeding cows and horses behind my house. I hatched my own chicken and raised it, we had ducks, a dog, cats, pigeons, anything we could catch and etc. The neighbors had their menageries as well and we all enjoyed both beef and dairy farms at our mischievous disposal. I smelled like manure all the time and for the life of me, I cannot imagine a better childhood. 

Yours Truly and Brother Gus and his Kick Ass Cabin where he hid his Playboys.
We were actually getting ready to go to the State Fair.

Formative years spent in the red and white house on the left.
Mr. Choate shot black birds from the back porch of the house on the right.


BRIMTUCKY
I spent my formative years in Brimfield, Ohio. The town has expanded into near city status since the advent of the WalMarts©. Pretty soon, they will be like Toledo and won’t be able to have nice things either.

I seriously Googled "Brimfield, Ohio Walmart" and up popped a taser.

Brimfield Township is located just south of I-76, east of Akron and south of Kent. Brimfield is the fastest growing community in Portage County. Once a sleepy and intimate farming community, it is now teeming with life and activity. A new elementary school opened fall of 2007 and several large shopping centers are currently being built. www.brimfieldohio.com
The several large shopping centers would be the WalMarts©.

Take this when you visit!
 

THE LUCAS COUNTY FAIR
These here Toledo has THE LUCAS COUNTY FAIR.  It isn't as filled with spandex as Walmarts© but is just as fun. Being around all creatures great and small raised specifically for slaughter reminds me of the importance of being humane.  I love irony, don’t you?

Thy name is IRONY


And now… what you have all been waiting for even though you didn’t know it…



THE ANIMALS AT THE FAIR - or - A PHOTOGRAPHIC ADVENTURE THROUGH MILES OF MANURE
Viewer Warning: There are an inordinate amount of rabbits shown and no cows or goats... or sheep.

~ Once and Future Bacon~

THIS LITTLE PIGGIE WENT TO MARKET... literally.

The barn was sweltering and all of the domestic swine were splayed out in front of industrial fans and oinking. I scratched behind a lot of ears and heard all of the gossip of the fair.

Pigs are highly intelligent and extremely social, so... naturally we kill and eat them.
Donald and Daisy
CHEESE AND QUACKERS (Above)
My ducks gave me Impetigo. More specifically, I contracted Impetigo from swimming with my ducks. I still have a slight discoloration on my mouth to prove it. Yes, I got it on my mouth. I kissed the ducks. Don't judge. I did not kiss the ones shown above. They did not seem to be interested in me in that way. Maybe they heard about the Impetigo. (The swine are gossipy, after all...)


HENNY PENNY! (Below)
My chicken's name was "Henny Penny." I realize the originality of choosing such a name is damned near unheard of coming from a child of 5 (it is a literary reference). Our dog would wag her tail and Henny would jump over the tail as it went back and forth. The goofy bird followed me everywhere. If not me, then the dog. Even though she had no lips, I kissed that chicken quite often.
I am judging you.
You are being actively judged.

 




















I did not kiss any chickens this day. The chickens... THEY MOCK ME. I was worried about getting my eyes pecked out. I sensed blood lust.


JIVE TURKEY
I am judging you.







He bore holes into my very soul with his eyes...






A HORSE IS A HORSE OF COURSE OF COURSE


This fellow gave great horsey hugs. I used to ride. I learned Western but can ride English. I even rode bare back. I have also fallen off of a horse who happened to have the same name as my X husband. But I digress...














This guy cracked me up: I kept holding up my camera and teasing, "SMILE!" He would rub his cheek on the slats of the stall. He did this every time I held the camera up. I caught an actual smile on a horse.

I am judging you.


NAKED CHICKS
I am judging you.


BABY QUACKERS!
OH MY GAWD SO CUTE!


BABY QUACKERS! - THE FILM
Nominated for 7 Academy Awards 
Directed By: Francis Ford Copella
Written By: Francis Ford Copella




THE BUNZ!

First, I would like to explain to all you city folk that fairs feature something known as "Market Animals" that are auctioned in "Slaughter Auctions." It is exactly what it sounds like. From the beginning, the 4H Whippersnappers know the purpose of raising their animal. As an Ohio country girl, these pragmatic realities are part of life. Even for me. Even for the bunnies.




Here are some of the market bunnies...


o, man.


*sniff sniff*







BREEDING BUNNIES! (Not for Market - Only for Show)
Affirmative Action at work within Miles of Bunnies

I am judging you.
Two Faces, One Bun


I am judging you.

FLEMISH GIANT
The Flemish Giant is one of the biggest rabbits EVER. Below is a Junior Buck (boy under 6 months of age). The guy is over twice the size of my full sized Rex, Sammy. These rabbits were originally bred in the area of Brussels around the 16th century for fur and meat. Please note that wire floored cages are NOT suited for rabbits, especially Flemish Giants (due to their size). The information is riveting, I know. This rabbit had some BIG FEET. I have included a scaled to size human to show the utter magnificence:

Why is he waving? GET OUT OF THERE!


I am judging you.




REX - JUNIOR DOE (Female under 6 months)
I am judging you.



PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT:
Outdoor bunnies get hot. The show barn was a bajillion degrees. Rabbits cannot sweat and WILL keel over from heat stroke. To help the bunnies stay cool, their owners froze bottles of water and placed them in the cages.
Frozen water bottles help cool my buns on hot days too.







OOOO BABY!
And now a quick visit with the babies!



OH MY GOD I'M IN A CAGE!
♥ soon to be drawing ♥





I literally bonded with this little one. He so enjoyed grooming me. He is in the corner where I was sitting on the floor. They were for sale for $10 or best offer. Word to the wise: DON'T DO IT.

Unless you are willing to make an 8 to 10 year commitment, DO NOT BUY A LIVE BUNNY. This one would require a vet exam and eventual spay/neutering.  They need food, water, cleaning and lots of attention as they are social creatures. I got a little verklempt when I left this one.




FEEDING FRENZY!


Family Frenzy!


LIVE ACTION FAMILY FEEDING FRENZY!





Babies - tiny tiny babies.
Life is so Precious.



ALL OF THE ABOVE CULMINATED IN STUDIO 566:



I hate you.